1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an access port structure formed in a deck of a personal watercraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to an access port deck structure for a personal watercraft that permits maintenance to be given to said personal watercraft in an efficient and convenient manner, making multiple uses of openings in the deck of said personal watercraft to effect maintenance and hull access.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A personal watercraft is known as a small size craft that is constructed and arranged to glide on the surface of a sea or lake. Many jet skis and other different types of personal watercraft are known and are commercially available.
Various access port structures are known which provide an opening in the deck of a personal watercraft, to allow a service person to perform maintenance inside the deck thereof. The specification of Hattori, U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,206 discloses one such access port structure.
FIG. 13 of the present specification is similar to FIG. 3 of the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,206, and is included herein for purposes of discussion in relation to the background art, although the numbers have been changed from those used by Hattori.
Referring now to FIG. 13, the access port structure 230 of Hattori's personal watercraft includes left and right openings 237 and 238 provided for maintenance access in left and right side walls 235 and 236, respectively, of an accommodation section 234. The accommodation section is formed on a deck 233 of a watercraft, and is provided to cover an engine 232 attached to a craft body 231.
With the access port structure 230 for a personal watercraft described above, however, only the left and right openings 237 and 238 into each of which one hand can be let are provided in the left and right side walls 235 and 236. Therefore, for example, when a maintenance operation is to be performed on the left of the craft body 231, it is performed through the left opening 237, but when a maintenance operation is to be performed on the right of the craft body 231, it is performed through the right opening 238. However, it is difficult to perform a maintenance operation making use of both of the left and right openings 237 and 238 at the same time.
Further, in the design of Hattori, the left and right openings 237 and 238 are used only for a maintenance application. However, at a location where an engine and so forth are mounted and the internal layout is crowded with such members, it is desirable to use the left and right openings 237 and 238 also for additional applications other than the maintenance application.